[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRATULATIONS TO SARAH MOELLER

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 17, 2005

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and 
honor a young Florida student from my district who has achieved 
national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. 
Sarah Moeller of Davie was named one of the top honorees in Florida by 
the 2005 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor 
conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in each state, the 
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
  Sarah, an eighth-grader at St. Mark Catholic School, is being 
recognized for organizing a clothing drive to collect suits and nice 
dresses for struggling Haitian immigrants to wear on job interviews and 
for special occasions. Sarah was inspired when she heard the pastor of 
St. Joseph's Haitian Mission speak at her school. Her clothing drive, 
``PASS Along Your Sunday Best'' collected 130 complete outfits, which 
Sarah would sort, wash, mend, press and hang on hangers for 
distribution to Haitian immigrants.
  When asked what she hoped her efforts would accomplish, Sarah said, 
``I felt that in a small way I was bringing hope and happiness to 
people in need.''
  In light of numerous statistics that indicate Americans today are 
less involved in their communities than they once were, it's vital that 
we encourage and support the kind of selfless contribution this young 
citizen made. People of all ages need to think more about how we, as 
individual citizens, can work together at the local level to ensure the 
health and vitality of our towns and neighborhoods. Young volunteers 
like Ms. Moeller are inspiring examples to all of us, and are among our 
brightest hopes for a better tomorrow.
  The program that brought this young role model to our attention--The 
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created in 1995 by 
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of 
Secondary School Principals. The program seeks to impress upon youth 
volunteers that their contributions are critically important and highly 
valued, and to inspire other young people to follow their example. Over 
the past eight years, the program has become the nation's largest youth 
recognition effort based solely on community service, with more than 
170,000 youngsters participating since its inception.
  I heartily applaud Ms. Moeller for her initiative in seeking to make 
her community a better place to live, and for the positive impact she 
has had on the lives of others. She has demonstrated a level of 
commitment and accomplishment that is truly noteworthy in today's 
world, and deserves our sincere admiration and respect. Her actions 
show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our 
communities, and that America's community spirit continues to hold 
tremendous promise for the future.